Dr. Snow’s Chiropractic and Jiu-Jitsu: How To Stay Rollin’- The Shoulder Bone Is Connected To The Neck Bone

I am often asked if I am able to treat shoulders, wrists, hips, knees, ankles, feet, etc. in my practice.  The answer is yes, and often I can do it without even touching the arm or leg.  I have seen that posture, and therefore, postural distortions, not only affect the spine, but also the extremities.  

For instance, I recently had a patient in my office complaining of shoulder pain, and had been diagnosed with bursitis and a bone spur in her A/C joint.  She went to her orthopedic surgeon, who made the diagnosis and proceeded to treat her with a several steroid injections in the shoulder in various areas.  Nothing was helping, not even narcotic pain-killers, so she came to my office.  Through consultation and examination, I determined that her condition was more related to posture in the neck and mid back, and less related to the shoulder.  She had rounded shoulder posture, overdeveloped in her chest muscles.  Her head was forward leaned, creating pressure on the neck and upper back.  It just so happens that the nerves that are responsible for sensation to the shoulder and arm are in the neck, and when pressure and stress are present in that area, those nerves will refer pain to the arm.  To make a long story short, we developed a treatment plan that addressed the postural distortion in the neck and middle back, and her symptoms resolved.  It was never about the shoulder, and in fact, in treating her, I never touched her shoulder.  Still her pain was gone.

It is called a kinetic chain.  The spine is the center, or the base of the chain.  Everything is linked off of the base.  So, if the spine is misaligned and stressed, then it stands to reason that the kinetic chain will not function properly.  Proper postural alignment is key for the rest of the musculoskeletal system to function properly.

Have a look at the following article to see what I am talking about.

Some Factors Predict Successful Short-Term Outcomes in Individuals With Shoulder Pain Receiving Cervicothoracic Manipulation: A Single-Arm Trial

PHYS THER
Vol. 90, No. 1, January 2010, pp. 26-42

Background:  It has been reported that manipulative therapy directed at the cervical and thoracic spine may improve outcomes in patients with shoulder pain. To date, limited data are available to help physical therapists determine which patients with shoulder pain may experience changes in pain and disability following the application of these interventions.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify prognostic factors from the history and physical examination in individuals with shoulder pain who are likely to experience rapid improvement in pain and disability following cervical and thoracic spine manipulation.

Design: This was a prospective single-arm trial.

Setting: This study was conducted in outpatient physical therapy clinics.

Participants: The participants were individuals who were seen by physical therapists for a primary complaint of shoulder pain.

Intervention and Measurements: Participants underwent a standardized examination and then a series of thrust and nonthrust manipulations directed toward the cervicothoracic spine. Individuals were classified as having achieved a successful outcome at the second and third sessions based on their perceived recovery. Potential prognostic variables were entered into a stepwise logistic regression model to determine the most accurate set of variables for prediction of treatment success.

Results: Data for 80 individuals were included in the data analysis, of which 49 had a successful outcome. Five prognostic variables were retained in the final regression model. If 3 of the 5 variables were present, the chance of achieving a successful outcome improved from 61% to 89% (positive likelihood ratio=5.3).

Limitations: A prospective single-arm trial lacking a control group does not allow for inferences to be made regarding cause and effect. The statistical procedures used may result in "overfitting" of the model, which can result in low precision of the prediction accuracy, and the bivariate analysis may have resulted in the rejection of some important variables.

Conclusions: The identified prognostic variables will allow clinicians to make an a priori identification of individuals with shoulder pain who are likely to experience short-term improvement with cervical and thoracic spine manipulation. Future studies are necessary to validate these findings.

I will tell you the same exists for lower back/pelvis and leg problems, including knee, ankle and foot. 

Yours for Better Health,

Dr. Jeff Snow, D.C.
(512) 459-4014
The BJJ Chiropractor - Austin, TX
"Make sure you thank the BJJ Doctor Jeff, Richard and Marshall. They took good care of me, but I will still make them do the push ups if they mess up on the drills!" - Rigan Machado

Vandry BJJ Academy: Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), Muay Thai Boxing & Judo, Austin, Texas.